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WWE legend Kurt Angle reveals severe concussion left him with no memory of epic match
The Olympic Hero has opened up on a scary injury (Picture: WWE)
WWE legend Kurt Angle has revealed how a mid-match concussion left him with no memory of his clash with Triple H and The Rock at SummerSlam 2000.
The Hall of Famer suffered a legitimate injury when he was sent through the table by his opponent, although the table gave way too early and he banged his head as he fell.
Chatting on The Kurt Angle Show, he said: ‘The story of the match was Triple H had to take me out at the beginning because he was so angry at me for kissing Stephanie, and so we had to do the table spot.
‘I wasn’t supposed to get knocked out for real, it was supposed to be a work. But unfortunately, the table gave way early and Triple H had my arms behind my back for the Pedigree finish.
‘He didn’t have time to let my arms go so I could protect myself. So the table gave way, and I got knocked out. This was a nightmare.
‘The match was structured where I was supposed to get knocked out in pretend, then I was gonna come back and join in with Stephanie and get involved with the match because Rock was kicking Triple H’s ass. That was the story.
Angle has no recollection of the bout (Picture: WWE)
‘I was gonna get knocked out early, come back 10 minutes later and wrestle in the match, and the finish was the finish which was Rock going over. The match told a great story, but I don’t remember any of it. It was put together very well, but I have no recollection of it.’
Angle has since watched it back and he admitted he still doesn’t member ‘three hours’ of that night, and even seeing it on screen felt like he was witnessing it for the first time.
‘I did watch it back and you could tell I was completely out of it. You could tell they were calling spots to me if you look very closely. I don’t have any recollection of the match,’ he explained.
‘I remember up until the table spot and then my memory came back when I was in the hospital with an oxygen mask on. I have no recollection of what happened for like three hours that night.
‘Watching it back, I wish it would’ve refreshed my memory, but seeing it, it was like doing it for first time. It was like, “Oh my God, I didn’t know I did that.”
‘That was the first time I had that severe of a concussion. I did have a slight concussion four or five months prior, but this one was a heavy concussion.’
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Meanwhile, the former Olympic gold medallist also took the opportunity to praise WWE’s current concussion protocol, and said the company took the action needed to protect wrestlers from serious injury.
‘I’m very happy with their concussion protocol now. They’ve done an excellent job of, if these guys do get concussed, they’re not gonna get passed to wrestle,’ he added.
‘And they’re definitely not gonna go out in a match if they have a concussion and go out and wrestle again like I did that night.’
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